A less controlled and slapdash character piece than "In Bruge," McDonagh's new movie benefits greatly from a plethora of one-liners that toy with crime movie clichés in the unlikely context of writerly obsessions.

Small in stature but consistently entertaining, Seven Psychopaths is a vacation from consequence for the Tony- and Oscar-winning author, and an unsupervised play date for his cast of screw-loose stars.

In the end (which continues into the credits), I was left thinking McDonagh can do better than this, and yet I was slightly more agog with admiration than peevish with frustration. Most of all, I wanted to see the film again.

Each cast member helps push it along, with standouts including Rockwell, Harrelson and Gabourey Sidibe in a brief but memorable scene. They help make Seven Psychopaths an astute, bloody and bloodshot-eyed addition to a genre it knows it's part of.

The result is a twitching convulsion of vicious drivel passing itself off as a movie, which can be best appreciated by the kind of people who dig "Showgirls," the "Saw" franchise and Spike Jonze-Charlie Kaufman flicks.

What an unexpected treat! Very unconventional, off-beat, hilarious. The performances are top notch and just fun to watch. (Christopher WalkenWhat an unexpected treat! Very unconventional, off-beat, hilarious. The performances are top notch and just fun to watch. (Christopher Walken is the man! And Sam Rockwell just kills it in this movie.) Actually, it's my favorite movie of the year so far.…Expand

An unexpected delight! Loved the writing and the performances are top notch! Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell are standouts, Ends upAn unexpected delight! Loved the writing and the performances are top notch! Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell are standouts, Ends up being one of my favorite films of 2012!…Expand

Seven Psychopaths had a clever premise, and then weaved a story within a story that was a lot of fun. Great cast, fun premise, and whileSeven Psychopaths had a clever premise, and then weaved a story within a story that was a lot of fun. Great cast, fun premise, and while gory, the gore is done in a comedic way, so it does not gross one out.…Expand

McDonagh's latest film, "Seven Psychopaths," looks to be another over those satirical and incredibly violent action movies on the surface, butMcDonagh's latest film, "Seven Psychopaths," looks to be another over those satirical and incredibly violent action movies on the surface, but underneath it all is a surprisingly moving story about friendship. Some will say that using violence to tell a story like this is utterly hypocritical, but they are clearly not aware of McDonagh's plays, and they probably haven't even seen his previous movie, "In Bruges." All those works do have a high level of blood and violence in them, but they are not simply designed to shock people. McDonagh instead uses those elements to get at a deeper truth about life and the people closest to us, and this is not always apparent to those who view his work from a distance.
An alcoholic writer with limited imagination, Marty (Colin Farrell) spends more time slumming with hyper pal Billy (Sam Rockwell) than he does tending to his own professional woes. Stuck trying to pen a screenplay called "Seven Psychopaths", Marty finds himself caught up in Billy's mess, when the latter and his associate Hans (Christopher Walken) are fingered for kidnapping the dog of ruthless mobster Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Forced to flee with the pooch in tow, Marty finds a surprising amount of inspiration in being hunted, especially given that his company, Hans and Billy, may themselves also be psychopaths. The entire film is centered around the kidnapping of Bonny, a shih-tzu belonging to chief mobster Charlie (Woody Harrelson), and here's where all hell breaks loose. The violent nature of Charlie, usually involving shooting anyone he encounters without remorse trails the trio of Marty, Billy and Hans, inflicting collateral damage as he gets closer to retrieving his dog. The conversations between characters are in rapid fire, containing a wealth of information, anecdotes, and heavy on black comedy.
The cast is rich in recognizable names, and that transfers smoothly into the quality of acting. This time Colin Farrell is the straight man for McDonagh (he was the opposite in "In Bruges") and it's just the performance the Irishman needed to deliver after the summer's lethargic "Total Recall" rehash. Rockwell and Walken are of tremendous value as the canine thieves, Walken bringing his turn down to a Zen whisper, while Rockwell is entertaining as hyperactively playful, despite his murderous tendencies lying just below the surface. Where " Seven Psychopaths" begins to unravel and lose it's way is in the third act. For the first two acts, the film is wild, exhilarating and just plain fun. The last act slows down and the tone of the film is thrown off entirely, and rather suddenly, the film ventures out of dark comedy and into the realm of something else entirely. Sure, some of the dry wit still remains - but that is about it. It irrevocably changes the film, and ultimately turns what could have been a great film into "provides some laughs and worth checking out". Shortly after the film begins and Farrell begins working on the screenplay, and it becomes very clear that almost every line will refer to a later theme or event. It is ingenious at first, much like most satires are. But its amusement wears thin about halfway into the film, and by the third act my intrest and attention diminishes as it stumbles into a finale that feels unsatisfying. Great cast, worth checking out and entertaining enough if one can stomach the relentless carnage.…Expand

This movie have a very interesting story about a man triyng to write his screenplay, the story and the actors playing the characters are veryThis movie have a very interesting story about a man triyng to write his screenplay, the story and the actors playing the characters are very good, a good dark comedy.…Expand

Related Articles

Find out what critics are saying about over two dozen key movies that debuted at fall's three major film festivals, including "Silver Linings Playbook," "Argo," "To the Wonder," "Cloud Atlas," "Frances Ha," and more.

Learn more about two dozen notable fall releases--a group that includes potential Oscar contenders, a new Bond film, a promising time-travel story, and more--and get a full release calendar for movies arriving between now and mid-November.